Xbox’s newly created chief operating officer role has been vacated after only three months. Helen Chiang, who had worked at Microsoft for 21 years and previously led Minecraft, left the company, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in an internal memo circulated on 23 October, according to Eurogamer.
“Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I'm grateful for her years of service and wish her well.” — Asha Sharma
Microsoft has provided only a brief external statement. In response to enquiries, Xbox told Eurogamer: “We don't discuss individual personnel matters. We're grateful for Helen's years of service and wish her well.”
What the move means for Xbox’s reset
The COO role was created in July as part of a wider organisational reset intended to help Xbox “work toward a shared goal, make the right tradeoffs, and get things done,” Sharma said at the time. Chiang’s departure leaves the unit without its first operations chief while the reset proceeds.
Eurogamer reported that Chiang’s responsibilities are expected to be divided among other Xbox executives rather than immediately filled by a named successor. The change adds uncertainty for staff and partner studios who had been adjusting to the reorganisation.
- Tenure and background: Chiang had been at Microsoft for 21 years and had previously led Minecraft.
- Role creation: The chief operating officer position was established in July as part of the Xbox reset.
- Internal memo date: CEO Asha Sharma circulated the memo on 23 October.
Studio and workforce impact already described
The departure comes against the backdrop of what Eurogamer described as the most significant restructuring in Xbox history. The reorganisation announced earlier included a headcount reduction of 3,200 roles and the exit of multiple development studios from Xbox Game Studios’ roster.
Eurogamer reported several studio-level outcomes connected to the reset: Double Fine, Undead Labs and Compulsion Games were to become independent following negotiations. Other studios faced more precarious situations, with one outlet reporting that Ninja Theory might close after acquisition talks collapsed, and Arkane Lyon was said to be in limbo with a reported deadline in November to find a buyer.
| Item | Fact from reporting |
|---|---|
| Memo date | 23 October (Asha Sharma) |
| Chiang’s Microsoft service | 21 years; previously led Minecraft |
| Restructuring scale | 3,200 layoffs and multiple studio changes (reported by Eurogamer) |
Neither Microsoft nor Xbox has given further detail about the reasons for Chiang’s exit or the longer-term plan for the COO role. Xbox said it would provide more information about leadership plans once they are finalised, but no successor was named in the memo cited by Eurogamer.
For developers, employees and external partners, the immediate practical question is who will coordinate the areas that had been assigned to the COO — notably cross-cutting responsibilities spanning content, hardware, platform and services, which the role was intended to oversee. According to Eurogamer, those duties are expected to be redistributed among existing executives while the company determines next steps.
The departure is another prominent leadership change for Xbox since Asha Sharma announced the reset in July. The broader restructuring and studio reassignments reported so far are likely to have ongoing consequences for games in development and teams affected by the organisational shift.
